Mounting structure for steam iron reservoir



Aug.- 20, 1957 J. H. BEACH 2,803,072

f MOUNTING STRUCTURE EUR STEAM IRON RESERVOIR Filed May 22, 1952 'INYENTOB. -l

'JustzvcefHBeac/z ATTORNEY.

United States Patent O MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR STEAM IRON RESERVOIR Justice H. Beach, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 22, 1952, Serial No. 289,359 s claims. (c1. .as-77) My invention relates to the art of ironing devices and in particular to a novel arrangement for mounting a water reservoir in a steam iron.

My invention provides a steam iron of the type having a ash boiler in the sole plate and a non-heated Water reservoir housed within the cover shell in which the comparatively fragile and lightweight reservoir is resiliently supported on the sole plate in position to discharge water to be vaporized into the vaporization chamber. The reservoir support is resilient which provides a tolerance take-up to compensate` for manufacturing inaccuracies within the' reservoir structure itself and inaccuracies existing between the reservoir and cover shell. The resilient support structure serves as an eticient heat barrier between the hot sole plate and the reservoir and seals the vaporization chamber around the discharge conduit of the reservoir without providing an elective heat conducting path between the sole plate and reservoir discharge conduit.

The present invention relates to steam irons of the type having three separate. and distinct sub-assemblies which are' separately assembled and detachably assembled to each other, namely, a soleplate sub-assembly, a water reservoir sub-assembly and a cover shell sub-assembly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent when taken in connection with the ac# companying drawing wherein the single figure illustrates a side elevational view partly in section of a steam iron embodying my invention.

As illustrated in the drawing, the iron comprises a sole plate 1 of the type utilizing an embedded rod-type heating element as indicated at 2 and provided with an open top well 3 just rearwardly of the forward end of the heating element which forms a vaporization chamber. Suitable passageways, not shown, are provided for conducting steam from the vaporization chamber 3 to the lower surface of lthe sole plate for impingement upon a fabric being ironed. A cover shell 4 overlies the upper portion of the sole plate 1 with its lower edges resting upon suitable buttons 5 to form a small slot between the lower edge of the cover shell 4 and :the top surface of the sole plate 1 to admit cooling air into the interior of the cover shell.

The' iron is provided with a suitable handle 6 of insulating material such as Bakelite, the rear leg of which is secured to the cover shell by screws 7 and the front leg of which is hollowed out as indicated at 8. The hollow portion of the front leg of the iron carries a bracket 9 which is secured to the cover shell by means of the studs A reservoir 12 is positioned within the cover shell 4 and is composed of upper and lower sections 13 and 14, respectively, joined by a rolled bead 15. The reservoir is provided with a through tube 16 adjacent the mid-point of the iron which accommodates a drive shaft 17 suitably connected to a dial 18 which is utilized to adjust a thermostatic control mechanism positioned below the reservoir, not shown, and which forms no part of the present in- "ice j vention. A second through tube 19 is provided forwardly of the tube 16 to accommodate a fastening means described hereinafter. r[he rear portion of the reservoir 12 is supported by a bracket 20 which underlies a portion of the bead 15.

The forward portion of the reservoir is provided with a filling structure including a filling opening indicated genf erally by the reference character 21 which forms no part of the present invention. The filling structure 21 extends upwardly into the hollow front leg of the handle and projects forwardly thereof as illustrated.

The lower member 13 of the reservoir 12 has an opening in which is secured a sealin'g'plug 22 provided with an internally threaded opening therethrough. A discharge conduit and valve seat member 23 is threaded into the internal thread of the plug 22 to secure these parts together.

A cover plate 24 is secured to the upper surface of the sole plate 1 by means of studs 25 which thread into the sole plate. The mating surfaces of the sole plate and cover 24 are preferably machined to form a vapor seal therebetween without the aid of gaskets. The cover plate 24 is provided with an opening 26 which is preferably circular in plan and communicates with the open top of the well 3. The reservoir structure is supported upon the cover plate 24 by means of a spring bellows 28 which is made of stainless steel or other spring metal having poor conducting characteristics. The bellows 28 is provided with a projecting flange 29 snugly telescoping into the opening 26 of the plate 24 and forming a positioning member. The flange 29 joins an annular plane section 30 of the bellows which rests upon a sealing gasket 31 preferably of fiberglass or similar heat resisting and nonheat conducting material. The member 31 forms a vapor seal between the bellows 28 and cover plate 24. The plate 30 of the bellows 28 joins an offset section 32 which forms a connection between the seat 30 and a plane annular spring section 33. The offset 32 serves to raise the section33 above the plate 24 to prevent direct heat conduction therebetween. The outer edge of section 33 joins a vertical section 34 which in turn joins a horizontal section 35 of the bellows 28. The section 35 of the bellows is provided with a central opening which receives the threaded portion of :the conduit 23 and is clamped in vapor-sealed relation between the members 22 and 23 by the threaded engagement therebetween.

It is to be understood that the bellows 28 and each of the individual sections thereof 29 through 35, inclusive, is circular in plan so that the same in effect forms a bellows spring. The joints formed'by the gasket 31 and the anchor between the section 35 of the bellows and the members '22 and 23 completely seals the vaporization chamber formed by xthe well 3 from the space within the cover shell, thus insuring that all vapor formed in the well 3 will be conducted through the sole plate passages to the discharge port therein and utimately be directed onto the clothing undergoing ironing. As is clearly apparent from fthe drawing, the portions of the conduit 23 which project into the vaporization chamber formed by the well 3, plate 24 and bellows 28 is in spaced relation to all portions of the sole plate. Heat may be conducted from the sole plate to the member 23 only through the cover plate 24 and fthen through the long path between the flange 29 and junction between the members 22 and 23. Heat pickup from the sole plate by the `seat 30 of the bellows is insignificant because of the insulating gasket 31. The foregoing heat path is long and is through a thin section member of stainless steel which has very poor heat conducting characteristics; Vconsequently direct conductive heating of the conduit 23 and plug 22 is held to a very low value.

The iron is provided with a rearwardly projecting heel reciprocal valve plug 37 extending through the reservoirV and adapted to be actuated by a finger control member 38 mounted in the upper portion of the handle. This valve mechanism per se forms no part of my invention-andvis not illustrated in detail. ln the position shown, the valve stem 37 is raised from the seat in the conduit 23 and water may iiow freely from the reservoir. through the small feed Y opening39 in the conduit member 23 to drip `into the vaporization chamber 3 for producing steam. When the valve stem 37 is lowered, the passageway` 3Q is cut offrfroqw the reservoir 12 and no .water is supplied to the chamber .3.

The foregoing iron may be of the type in which the reservoir is so constructed that the water level drops below` the conduit 23. when the iron is placed upon its heel rest Y so that such action automatically discontinues steaming even if the control valve 37 is open at this time or of the type requiring closure of the valve 2337 to prevent steaming when the reservior .is full and the iron is upended on the heel rest 27. In each of the foregoing circumstances, the discharge structure 22 and 23 will be above the water level in the reservoir when the water charged therein is partially consumed. If the iron remains on the heel rest for prolonged periods while energized, it is highly desirable to prevent the members 22 and 23 and the forward part of the reservoir from reaching an elevated temperature as such conditions will produce undesirable steaming in the reservoir and possible sputtering of water and steam through the filling opening 21 when the iron is returned to a horizontal position. The long, high resistance heat flow path provided by the bellows 28 has been found to accomplish this desirable objective in an entirely satisfactory manner. The heat conducting characteristics of the long, high resistance path provided by the` stainless steel bellows conducts heat to the members 22 and 23 so slowly that the large areas of the reservoir in heat conducting relation with these parts arev able to dissipate such conducted heat at a rate suflicient to maintain the temperature of these parts low enough to prevent steaming and sputtering in the reservoir.

In assembling the parts of the iron, the reservoir and valve structure isseated upon the sole plate with the flange Z9 seated in the opening 26 and the rear end of the reservoir resting upon the bracket 20. The cover shell 4 and Y handle 6 are assembled by the studs 7 and 10. The cover shell and handle assembly are next lowered over the sole plate reservoir assembly with the lling member 21 eX- tending into the hollow front leg of the iron until the cover shell rests upon the dimples 40 formed in the upper surface of the upper portion 14 of the reservoir. An anchoring stud 41 is then passed through a suitable opening in the central portion of the cover shell just rearwardly of the front leg of the handle and through the conduit 19 and is threaded into a hollow stud 42 which threads into a large boss 43 formed in the sole plate 1. The stud 41 is then drawn down until the cover shell rests rmly upon the buttons 5. As the stud 41 is drawn down to the above described position, tension is applied to the bellows 28 through the dimples 40 which iirmly seats the same upon the gasket 31 to form a pressure seal at this point and to provide a resilient mounting for the reservoir. The dial 18 is next assembled on the shaft 17-which overlies and conceals the head of the stud 41. It is apparentrfrom the foregoing that the stud 41 formsthe sole means for fixedly securing the reservoir, sole plate and handle cover shell assembly together. The reservoir is not signically heated by the cover shell due'to the small area of the dimples 4() and the long heat transfer paths to the dimples through the cover shell and stud 41. It is also apparent that the reservoir and its appurtenant structures are cornpletely relieved of lifting ,andv ironing stressesimparted in the use of the iron, these forces being transmitted through the cover shell, sole plate and stud 41. The only stress applied to the reservoir is that necessary to compress the bellows spring 28 sufficiently to take up manufacturing tolerances and to seat the bellows lirmly upon the gasket 31. The bellows spring will be made large enough to insure take-up of tolerances in the reservior and reservoircover shell assembly.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail herein, it is not to be limited thereto but Various changes may be made in the construction, design and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A steam iron comprising a sole plate having an open top well therein, a reservoir, a discharge conduit extending from the lower surface of said reservoir into said well in spaced relation to the walls of said well, a resilient stainless steel bellows sealedat its top to said reservoir surrounding said conduit inspaced relation'thereto and` bearing at its lower end on said sole plate, a cover shell extending over and engaging the top surface of said reservoir, a handle attachedlto said cover shell, means for drawing said cover shell to a seat on said sole plate, said bellows and reservoir being so dimensioned that said reservoir is drawn toward said sole plate to stress said resilient bellows against said sole plate as said cover shell is seated on said sole plate.

2. A steam iron structure comprising a sole plate having an open top well formed 'therein forming a steam generating chamber, a reservoir having a depending discharge conduit, a bellows spring having an upper plate like portion secured adjacent its central portion to said reservoir around said conduit and a lower plate like portion having a depending central section adapted to engage the upper surface of said sole plate around said well in spaced relation to said conduit to position said conduit in spaced relation to said sole plate and out of engagement therewith, a pedestal` on said sole plate positioned remotely froml said well and engaging the underside of said v reservoir, a'cover shell and handle structure overlying said reservoir and having rigid portions engaging the upper surface ofsaid reservoir, and a tension member extending between said cover shell and said sole plate in spaced relationto said reservoir to draw said cover shell to a seat on said sole plate against the bias of said bellows spring.

3. In a steam iron of the type having a preassembled soleplate sub-assembly and a preassembled water reservoir sub-assembly for. assembly to eachother in which said reversoir sub-assembly may be placed loosely on top of the` soleplate sub-assembly prior to the linal assembly ,with the reservoir overhanging the soleplate subassembly, said soleplate sub-assembly being formed with an upwardly opening steam generating cavity, a depending discharge conduit secured to the underside of said reservoir sub-assembly and communicating with said steam generating cavity, means including a spring inemberbearingbetween the lower wall of said reservoir sub-assembly and the top of said soleplate sub-assembly for resiliently supporting `said reservoir sub-assembly from said soleplate sub-assembly in vertically Vspaced relation thereto with said conduit positioned to discharge water into said steam generating cavity, said means including said spring member forming a housing for said conduit and forming a pressure contact joint about the open top of said steamgenerating chamber, a rigid member engaging the upperv surface of said reservoir sub-assembly. and ak securing memberconnecting said rigid member land said soleplate sub-assembly and operative to draw said rigid member against the upper wall of said reservoir sub-assembly and towards said sole* plate sub-.assembly solas tostress said spring member between. said soleplate and reservoir sub-assemblies, vsaid securing means forming the sole means for holding said reservoir sub-assembly to said soleplate sub-assembly.

4. In a steam iron, according to claim 3, in which said Spring means comprises a resilient bellows of material having a lower heat conductivity than the material of said soleplate sub-assembly.

5, In a steam iron, according to claim 3, in which said rigid member comprises a cover shell sub-assembly, and said securing member draws a part of said cover shell sub-assembly against a seat on said soleplate subassembly against the bias of said spring member.

6. In a steam iron, according to claim 3, in which said mounting means includes an upstanding post on said soleplate sub-assembly engaging a portion of said reservoir sub-assembly remote from said discharge conduit.

7. In a steam iron, according to claim 4, in which said spring bellows has a projecting cylindrical portion telescopically received in said chamber about said conduit and an annular portion around said projecting portion seating on a gasket on the upper surface of said soleplate sub-assembly.

8. In a steam iron of the type having a preassembled soleplate sub-assembly and a preassembled water reservoir sub-assembly for assembly to each other in which said reservoir sub-assembly may be placed loosely on top of said soleplate sub-assembly prior to final assembly with the reservoir overlying the soleplate sub-assembly and a cover shell sub-assembly in contact with the upper Wall of said reservoir sub-assembly, said soleplate subassembly being formed with an open topped well in its upper surface forming a steam generating chamber, said reservoir sub-assembly having a depending conduit com municating with said well to deliver water to said steam generating chamber, a spring member in pressure contact engagement with said well and forming an extension and closure for said well, said spring member being secured to the lower wall of said reservoir sub-assembly and surrounding said depending conduit to resiliently support said reservoir sub-assembly in spaced relationship to said soleplate sub-assembly, and a rigid adjustable member extending between said soleplate sub-assembly and said cover shell sub-assembly operable to force said cover shell sub-assembly against a seat on said soleplate subassembly and to draw said reservoir sub-assembly towards said soleplate sub-assembly against the force of said spring member and against said soleplate sub-assembly to form a pressure contact joint between the lower end of said spring member and said well, said adjustable member forming the sole attaching connection for holding said cover shell reservoir and soleplate sub-assemblies together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,322,593 Riddington et al. June 22, 1943 2,323,225 Ledbetter June 29, 1943 2,483,816 Edwards Oct. 4, 1949 2,499,185 Finlayson Feb. 28, 1950 2,506,941 Scott May 9, 1950 2,608,773 Finlayson Sept. 2, 1952 2,637,126 Fitzsimmons May 5, 1953 

